According to PayScale, Columbus, Georgia's cost of living is 7% lower than the national average. Housing is remarkably affordable: 23% less than the U.S. average, and the monthly median rent is only $1,167.
However, just because Columbus, GA, is an affordable city doesn't automatically mean all your prospective renters can afford the rent you charge. One of the best ways to verify this is with a tenant background check.
Join Bickerstaff Parham Property Management as we share crucial insights into the rental application process, including screening laws and tenant background check tools.
The Purpose of a Tenant Background Check
A tenant background check helps you identify and choose responsible tenants. By carefully conducting this process, you can gleam pertinent information about your prospective renters and assess their likelihood of:
- Paying rent on time and in full
- Fulfilling the lease terms
- Caring for your rental property
- Being good neighbors and community members
- Not posing dangers to your property, other tenants, neighbors, and the community
So, through a comprehensive background check process, you can make more educated decisions regarding which tenants to rent out. It also helps you minimize your risks of choosing renters who may do something that could force you to evict them. You want to avoid evictions as much as possible because, as Smart Asset points out, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars.
Tenant Screening Laws
Georgia landlords can charge applicants reasonable fees for tenant screening reports. However, they must still abide by the Georgia Fair Housing Law. The law makes it illegal for housing providers, including private landlords, to discriminate against protected classes, including:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Handicap
- Familial status
To ensure your tenant screening process is legally compliant, keep it fair and uniform. For instance, all the steps you perform for one applicant must be the same for the rest.
Tools for Effective Tenant Screening
For your tenant background check process to be effective and reach the goals mentioned above, you must use the following tools every time:
- Credit checks
- Income and employment verification
- Rental and eviction history assessment
- Criminal background screening
Again, if you perform all of those steps (which you should) on one applicant, you must do the same for everyone else, with no exceptions. Otherwise, your applicants may file lawsuits against you for discriminatory practices.
Using a Tenant Verification Service to Simplify the Process
As crucial as tenant background checks are, they are time-consuming and legally complex. Fortunately, you can outsource them to professionals like our Bickerstaff Parham Property Management team. We'll even help with the lease agreement preparation as part of our comprehensive and compliant tenant placement service's benefits.
Find Reliable Tenants Today
With a comprehensive tenant background check, you're more likely to find renters who can pay rent on time, care for your property, and be good neighbors.
Our team members at Bickerstaff Parham Property Management, who boast decades of combined experience in real estate and property management, can do all that and more for you. We'll use our years of expertise, legal knowledge, and state-of-the-art technology to place high-quality tenants in your Columbus, GA, rental.
Contact us today to learn about our full-service property management solutions and to request your free property consultation!
